Tilly & the Wall (3/24/08)



Tilly & the Wall was another one of the great random finds. Scrolling down the list of upcoming Grog Shop shows, I randomly stopped, looked up their MySpace page, and instantly liked the dance pop beat of "Beat Control." I listened to the whole album and just had to start telling friends about them. Turns out, several people have already heard about them. That moment, I thought I better not take chances at buying tickets at the door and picked up a couple at Record Rev.

The album happened right at the right time for me, when major life changes were taking place. It's mix of cheerful harmony pop and more intricate, delicate songs of love and breaking up. It covers the gamut for someone going through a break up, and it was the only thing I wanted to listen to. So my connection to the songs may have been amplified by strife, but is there any better way to enjoy music?

The night's expectations were raised even higher with Cleveland's own Bears opening, as well as with a promising second opener - Capgun coup. We arrived to a line of people out the door, waiting to get in. Something new... I was glad/sad to see the place was packed. Bears were good, though I'm still waiting on some improvement in the live show. I was unfortunately disappointed with Capgun coup.

Then it was time. The lights dimmed and beat started... I can't say the last time I saw a show where the main act tried to create a sense of anticipation before hitting the stage. It went on and I was a little taken aback. But then the wonderfulness that are Tilly & the Wall took the stage. This was a "professional" show, filling the stage, complete with two gorgeous women wearing glitter outfits and big smiles. Of particular interest was the woman who's only job looked to be dancing on stage. She was great and brought a new element to the performance. It was several songs later that I realized she was actually tap-dancing a drum-type thing and it was a prominent part of the music (hey, I'm not a hard-core critic). This brought my level of respect for them to a whole new level.

The show was solid, energetic, and a great mix between polished and chaotic. Doing the 2 band mix comparison - these were definitely the modern day love children of ABBA and the Mama's & the Papa's. Definitely. If you ever get a chance - see them live. Seriously.


(listen for the tapping!)

Posted: Mon - March 31, 2008 at 07:06 AM           |

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